A cold day in Toronto with Glenn Gould

Glenn Gould was the first pianist I heard play Bach. I liked what I heard. This was back in the LP era and you could buy the complete Well Tempered Clavier in what was at the time (the 70s) a six album boxed set. My choice of Gould's WTC was based more on economics than artistry. The boxed set was one of those great six for the price of three deals that high school students like me loved -- not that many of my classmates were rushing out to buy Bach.

What are conductors really thinking?

We all know conductors are famous for being physically emotive when leading an orchestra. but what's really on their minds when they wave their batons?

We've taken a tongue-in-cheek look at some photos of conductors and matched them to famous lines from AFI's 100 greatest film quotes. Be sure to check out the music from the movies and recordings from the conductors. Follow the link and tell us which are your favorites?
Click to see the rest!

Lenny

Like many people my age, my first exposure to classical music was watching Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts on television. I didn’t become an instant fan of the music, but I was fascinated by the incredibly articulate man who was speaking.

Years later (after I became a music aficionado) I was mesmerized by his brilliant Norton Lectures. Has anyone ever spoken so eloquently about music? Has anyone ever gotten so "inside" a Beethoven sonata in such an amusing way? Take a look. Leonard Bernstein was a master composer for the concert hall and musical theater. He was also the great conductor of his day. How many people could write the Serenade for violin (after Plato’s Symposium), the song “New York, New York” and conduct an ecstatic performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony? Leonard Bernstein was sui generis.